Sakuryu: School for the Magically Talented
by Rae and Arakni
Summary: Harry Potter's story is known around the world, but what about the other wizarding schools out there? One young wizard, Naruto Uzumaki, begins his magical training in the Japanese school, Sakuryu.
1. Prologue

Author's Note: Hey, it's Arakni! This is a story based off the world of Harry Potter, which actually meshes in with said world. This is the adventure of a boy who goes to the Japanese school for wizardry.

Disclaimer: We don't own any of these characters. That's right. Nada, zip, zilch… You get the idea.

Warning: YAOI. Must I say any more?

Prologue

There was nothing different about that night. It was warm, dark, and nearly silent, save for the muted sounds of late-night drivers on the roads.

But there was something in the air, a sense of gaiety floating around. It was infectious, inducing good dreams in the sleepers and positive thoughts in those still awake.

One being didn't seem affected, however. On the sidewalk of one sleeping street sat a dog, a german shepherd. His body was poised stiffly and un-canine-like. Around one of his emerald eyes was a black marking of an almost perfect circle. He seemed to be closely watching the other side of the street.

For awhile, nothing happened. And then, suddenly, a burst of fire and smoke crackled into life directly across from the dog. The smoke cleared, revealing in its place a tall, black-haired man with dark eyes. He wore a blue robe that brushed the ground as he strode across to where the german shepherd sat- or, had been sitting. In its place sat another man. "Must you do that every time we go somewhere, Roy?" this latter man asked, green eyes twinkling.

A smile flitted across Roy's lips. "It's my trademark. How would you know it was me if I didn't announce myself with a bang?" Then his coal eyes sobered. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Hakkai? Leaving this kid here, in the middle of nowhere…"

"It's the best idea we have," Hakkai sighed. He reached up, quietly adjusting his monocle. "What else can we do? This is his only living family."

"An uncle who's only… what, seventeen years old? That's not safe-"

"Do you have another idea, Roy? I'll gladly listen if you do."

"…No."

"I didn't think so." Hakkai was quiet for a moment, staring up at the sky. Then, he asked that night's most popular question, "So, Voldemort is really gone?"

"Yeah." Rubbing his forehead, Roy continued, "Albus contacted me earlier."

"And Orochimaru?"

"No sign of him. That's why this kid needs to go into hiding."

"Iruka is bringing him, then?"

Roy nodded. "He should be here any minute."

As if on cue, a long-haired brunet, cradling a basket in his arms, strolled up beside him.

"Ah, Iruka, finally." Roy clasped the newest arrival's hand in a friendly greeting. "How is he doing?"

"He's fine; he fell asleep on the way." Iruka chuckled. "The broom ride didn't bother him in the slightest." Then he turned to Roy. "But how are you? This must have been a stressful first year as headmaster."

"Unfortunately," the headmaster sighed.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, I don't mean to interrupt…," Hakkai began, "but I believe it is time to attend to the matter at hand." He gestured towards Iruka's basket.

"Oh, right. Of course." Hesitantly, Roy picked up the basket, peering at the baby inside. "Good luck, little guy." Pushing open the gate to the nearest house, he strode up to the door. The basket was placed gently upon the doorstep, along with a sealed letter.

"Will he be alright, living here?" Iruka asked nervously.

"This is the only place he has left to go." Hakkai gave both men a soft smile, before stepping back out into the street. In an instant, a german shepherd was disappearing around the corner.

Roy clapped Iruka on the shoulder. "He'll be as fine as he'll ever be able to be." There was a flash of smoke and fire, and he was gone as well.

Iruka stood there a moment longer, staring at the little basket in front of the door. Before he turned away, he offered a smile to the baby.

"Good luck… Naruto."


	2. Hearing Voices

Author's Note: Arakni here! Just to let you know, the Kabuto in this story is completely OOC. He would never do any of this stuff if he had his actual personality, so we changed him a bit. And yes, I know this chapter is very much reminiscent of Harry Potter's story, but don't worry. Everything will move farther into originality in the near future.

The disclaimer and warning were in the prologue, so… read on!!

Chapter 1: Hearing Voices

CRASH!!!

"Naruto! That's the third plate you've dropped this week! Can't you do anything right?"

"I'm sorry, uncle Kabuto!"

"You bet you're sorry!" Naruto cowered as the silver-haired man raised a hand, bringing it down hard upon the boy's cheek.

Naruto turned and bolted for his room in the basement without looking back. The threatening footsteps behind him paused at the door, and he heard the audible click of being locked in from the outside.

"You're going to stay in there until dinner, and I had better not be able to hear you while I'm cooking it," growled his uncle. The footsteps shuffled back upstairs.

Stretching out on top of the nearly-dead mattress that served as his bed, Naruto gingerly touched the cheek where Kabuto had hit him. Another bruise. Great. A frown settled across his features as he glanced around his 'room', which was lit only by one tiny window high up on the wall.

There was nothing to mark the room as his. It was dark, smelly, and somewhat wet. The walls were bare, and the floor was covered only by his mattress, some blankets, clothing, a few dusty old books, and a broken vase filled with dead flowers.

Naruto hated this room.

So he curled up, feeling very alone and wishing there was someone to talk to, and shut his eyes in a half-hearted attempt to sleep.

_Why do you allow him to treat you that way?_

'What?'

_That bastard uncle of yours. Why do you let him treat you like dirt?_

'I-I don't know… Wait, who are you? Am I dreaming?'

_Yes and no._

'Huh? But who are you?'

_You'll find out soon enough, kit._

'Wait!'

Naruto was shaken forcefully awake, and then slapped hard on the same cheek as the previous night.

"That's for not coming when I called dinner last night. Now get upstairs and make breakfast." Kabuto shoved the boy roughly back onto his bed and stomped upstairs.

The blond leaned back against the wall, thinking about his strange dream. It had felt so real, like the person had actually been right there with him…

"Naruto!! Get up here now!!"

All previous thoughts of his dream brushed aside, Naruto scrambled up the stairs to do his uncle's bidding. "Coming, uncle!"

Kabuto was already lounging in the living room by the time Naruto got there. "I feel like having pancakes today. Go make some."

The blond shuffled off to the kitchen, perfectly aware that his cheek was a furious black-and-blue color. Yanking out the pancake batter, he busied himself with once again thinking over his dream.

That person- had it even been a person?- had seemed so real, so solid, that he should have been able to touch them if he'd reached out far enough. Would he dream it again tonight? He sure hoped so. It was nice, having someone to talk to, even if they were just a figment of his imagination. Maybe-

"Are those pancakes ready yet?!"

"Almost," Naruto called back, flipping over another one.

"Well, hurry it up! I haven't got all day!"

Angry now, Naruto bit down hard on his lip so as not to give a smart-aleck reply. He stacked the pancakes on a plate and carried it to the kitchen table. "Ready!"

"Finally," growled Kabuto, stalking in. "I have a job interview later," he added as he sat down. "I'm going to lock you up in your room while I'm out, got it? Don't even think of trying to get out."

Naruto was silent, staring down at the single pancake on his plate. _Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts-_

"I still don't know why I shouldn't just kick you out on the streets. You're a miserable wretch, kid. You're not worth the trouble I go through for you."

_Happy thoughts, happy thoughts-_

"Maybe I should put you in a boarding school next month, so I won't have to deal with your sorry butt for a year. What do you think about that, Naruto?"

_HAPPY, HAPPY-_

"You're worthless, just like your parents were. Like father, like son, eh? That's all you were, you and your family- a worthless pile of trash. Too stupid to do anything worthwhile-"

"Shut up!" screamed Naruto, jumping to his feet.

At the exact same moment, all the pancakes burst into flames. Kabuto dropped his fork with a surprised yelp, just as the light bulb overhead shattered into a million pieces.

Naruto stood there, shocked yet still angry. But a feeling of dread began to seep into his stomach as well. The last time something like this had happened, Kabuto had locked him in his room for a week, and only fed him once.

So he wasn't surprised when Kabuto grabbed his shirt and slammed him into the wall. "You little punk," the silver-haired man gritted. "Trying to kill me, are you?"

"N-no uncle, I was-"

"Spare me your excuses!" Dragging the blond bodily down the hall, Kabuto practically threw him into his room. "Don't expect to eat anything for the rest of the week!"

The lock on the door clicked shut, leaving Naruto alone once again. He curled up, tears of anger welling in his eyes as he thought about his uncle.

Why was Kabuto so mean? Naruto had never done anything wrong! And all those weird things that happened- how were any of them his fault?

There was the time when the toilet had exploded… and when he'd somehow ended up on top of the tree in the backyard… and when Kabuto's lady friend's hair had suddenly turned bright purple…

Yeah, so maybe odd things happened around Naruto- but how on earth could he be blamed for any of them?

Keeping that fiercely righteous thought in mind, he stretched out on the floor, glaring at the ceiling. He really wished he could remember his parents, wished he could bring up their loving visages during moments like these, but he didn't have any recollection of spending time with them. Kabuto said they'd died in a freak accident.

Naruto gently touched the whisker-like marks on both his cheeks, careful of the bruises. Apparently, these marks were scars from the same accident- some drunk driving thing. But how had a car crash managed to give him three evenly-spaced scars on each cheek?

_Think, kit. Think._

'You again! Did I fall asleep? Who are you?'

_So impatient. Heh, I must have worn off on you._

'What do you mean? And what should I think about?'

_They'll come for you soon, kit. Be ready._

'Who? Wait! Wait!!'

Naruto shot upright, eyes wide. That dream again! It all seemed so real…

But there was no one there. He was alone.


	3. Sound of Wings

Author's Note: Hello again! I trust you've enjoyed our little story up 'till now? Good! Here is the second chapter of Sakuryu! Oh, and you might recognize a line in here from the movie 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'. We couldn't resist throwing it in.

Thank you so much to Satski, for encouraging us to keep going! Thanks!

Chapter 2: Sound of Wings

"Naruto!"

"Yes, uncle?"

"Do you want to be locked in that basement for another week?" Kabuto threatened- for the fifth time that morning.

"No…"

"Then get the damn mail!"

Naruto swore colorfully in his mind, shuffling out down the front hall. No matter how timid he appeared on the outside, he was still the headstrong, fiery young boy he'd always been. Nothing, not even Kabuto, could change that.

Grumble, grumble, grumble- that was all Kabuto ever did! Naruto scowled. He was angry with his uncle, angry with himself, with the world for seeming to turn its back on him.

No, wait. The blond paused for a second, thinking over that last thought. There were some people out there, the crazy weird ones, who seemed to know and understand him. Yeah, like the really fat lady dressed in orange who'd given him a birthday card; and the totally mysterious, black-haired man in red who'd slipped him a piece of homework that he'd lost; and a young boy who'd simply stopped and given him a thumbs up.

Naruto grinned, reaching down to grasp the mail. Yeah, he liked those people.

He glanced at the names as he sifted through the pile. Kabuto… Kabuto… current resident… Kabuto… As usual, none of it was for him. Still, he continued through the envelopes. Kabuto… Naruto… Kabuto…

Wait… Naruto?

The blond checked the address again. Sure enough, it was to him, Naruto Uzumaki. But who would be writing to him?

His thoughts were interrupted by his uncle, yelling from the kitchen, "Naruto! Mail, now!"

Reminded of what he was supposed to be doing, he ran back to his uncle and handed him the pile of mail. He kept the one addressed to himself.

Turning it over, Naruto found a wax seal with an 'S' on the back. Very curious at this point, he turned towards his basement, intending to open it there.

"Give me the mail, Naruto."

The blond stopped and faced his uncle. "Huh?"

The silver-haired man sighed. "You still have a letter, kid. Hand it over."

"It's mine! It's addressed to me!" Naruto retaliated.

Kabuto's eyes glowed dangerously. "Give me the letter _now_, Naruto."

"No, it's-" Naruto was silenced as a hand was brought down onto his head. The letter was snatched out of his hands.

Kabuto turned turned the letter over to look at the seal. "I thought as much." Grabbing the back of Naruto's shirt, he shoved his nephew into the basement. Without another word, he locked the door and stormed off, most likely to burn the letter.

Naruto sat there on the floor, absolutely stunned. What the heck was that all about? And what did Kabuto mean, 'I thought as much'? Darn, he hated to be left out of the loop!

He stayed there a few seconds longer, shooting confused and angry looks at the door, before a sly smile flickered across his face. Kabuto may have kept him successfully locked up before, but no longer.

The blond had discovered something about the basement door during his week of imprisonment; when you hit the spot directly below the lock, it would open. Placing his ear against the door, Naruto made sure his uncle wasn't nearby before hitting said spot. The door opened a crack and the boy peered through. No Kabuto in sight, but he did see his letter sitting on the kitchen table.

Naruto was cautiously making his way towards the letter when footsteps rang out on the floor above him. He paused for a moment, wary, before continuing on his stealthy way. He needed to read that letter.

Finally, he was close enough to read the word at the top. 'Sakuryu'. But what was tha-

"Is someone down there? Naruto?! Are you out of the basement?!"

With a speed he didn't know he possessed, the blond ran back to his basement room before his uncle had made it downstairs. A ray of light shone into the basement as his uncle came to check up on him. As if Kabuto's loud stomping hadn't been enough!

"Have you been here the whole time?" he snarled, glaring down at his nephew.

"Y-yes," the blond managed to stutter.

"You're not _lying_, are you? 'Cause you know how I hate it when you lie."

"I swear! I've been here! Honest!"

Kabuto's face twisted with scorn as he shoved Naruto away in disgust, stalking back upstairs.

The blond had to resist the childish urge to stick out his tongue at his uncle's retreating back. It wouldn't do anything to soothe his temper.

Over the next few days, more letters to Naruto kept flowing through the mail slot. Finally, Kabuto had had enough. He went out one morning, and came back with a new door- one without a mail slot.

This greatly disheartened Naruto, which, in turn, brought Kabuto's spirits up. Sometimes, it seemed as though the entire purpose of the silver-haired man's life was to make his nephew miserable.

But whoever was writing those letters just wouldn't give up. Somehow, they kept managing to infiltrate the house; Kabuto found them hidden under the kitchen rug, stashed among the leftovers in the fridge, taped to the living room wall. There was even one letter found propped up on the toilet seat. In short, they were driving Kabuto insane.

And Naruto was absolutely loving it. Of course, an angry Kabuto wasn't great for the blonde's health, but he couldn't help feeling immensely satisfied when his uncle found more and more letters all over the place. There had been nothing to laugh about in most of the ten years he'd spent with Kabuto, and now, finally, he had something to giggle about down in his basement.

One morning, though, when Naruto wearily climbed up to the living room, Kabuto was sitting smugly in his favorite armchair. Naruto's spirits plummeted instantly. A happy Kabuto was never a good sign.

"Come on, kid, go make breakfast," the silver-haired man drawled. "I'm in the mood for waffles, so be quick about it."

Still wiping sleep from his eyes, Naruto stumbled into the kitchen. He fished around for the waffle mix, yawning.

"Guess what today is, Naruto?" Kabuto called from the other room.

Naruto frowned, surprised. "Um… Sunday?"

"Exactly!" cackled his uncle. "And guess what else?"

"What?"

"There's no post on Sundays!" Kabuto burst out laughing, obviously overjoyed.

It was right then, however, that something soft collided with the back of Naruto's head. "Huh?" He turned around, only to be met with another one bouncing off his nose. Now officially confused, he glanced down at the floor.

_Oh. My. God._

They were _letters_.

Naruto could barely contain a squeal of excitement as he bent down to pick one up. Another letter bounced off his back. So he glanced back up, searching for wherever they were coming from. His gaze met with the metal tile on the ceiling.

A joyful, amused smile illuminated his face. They were coming through the _vent_.

"What the- NARUTO!"

The smile disappeared as fast as it had come, as Kabuto charged into the kitchen. The bond clutched a letter to his chest, daring his uncle to try to take it from him.

Kabuto dared. A full-fledged fight erupted, complete with screams of fury, banging pots, and airborne letters. It lasted for several long minutes, until suddenly-

"Oh, sorry. Am I interrupting something?"


	4. Something Rich and Strange

Author's Note: I'm back! Missed me much? No? This chapter is still very much following the Harry Potter storyline, but it will hopefully start moving away from it soon. Cross your fingers, people.

Chapter 3: Something Rich and Strange

Naruto gaped at the man who had suddenly appeared in the hallway. The only words that came to mind to describe him were 'whoa, he's weird'.

Crazy silver hair stuck up all over the place, flattened down slightly on one side by a crooked headband that covered his left eye. A mask hid his mouth and nose. And he was dressed in a long black robe, over which rested a green vest covered in pockets.

"What do you want here?" Kabuto hissed, releasing his hold on his nephew.

The stranger raised his visible eyebrow at the open hostility. "To talk to Naruto, of course. Do you honestly think I'd come out here to see you?"

Kabuto snarled, advancing on the man- but froze suddenly, when the stranger's arm swung up to point a smooth wooden wand at him. The stranger continued, "It has come to the Headmaster's attention that Naruto hasn't been getting his letters." He took a step forward, which resulted in Kabuto flattening back against a wall.

Naruto was, by this time, wondering why his eyes hadn't fallen out of his head yet, he was staring so hard. The only words that managed to make it out of his slack mouth were, "Who are you?"

Shrugging, the stranger replied, "No one special. Just Hatake Kakashi, Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Sakuryu." His mask moved slightly, hinting at a smile underneath. "Though I don't suppose you know anything about us, with such a muggle for an uncle."

"A what?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Muggle. The name originated in England, I believe, but it seems to have become the popular word all around." Kakashi made a face (or as much of a face as you can make with only one eye). "I don't particularly like it."

"Yeah…" The blond frowned, obviously not liking the explanation. "Who's 'us', anyways?"

Kakashi sighed. "I thought as much. Well then, I guess it's my responsibility to tell you everything. So…" After taking a quick glance around at the floor, strewn with letters, he sat down at the kitchen table. "Come on, sit!"

Curiosity winning over his suspicions, the blond took the offered seat. Kakashi leaned forward, staring him in the eye. "Hm… where to start… Ah, okay. Naruto," he said, eye sparkling, "you're a wizard!"

Naruto sat there and gaped. "Are you out of your mind?"

"No, no." The man waved the question aside. "I'm perfectly sane, and so are you. But we're both wizards." Catching sight of the blonde's disbelieving expression, he added, "I guess I wouldn't believe it either, if I were living with him." He jerked his thumb towards Kabuto, who was still standing as if he were glued to the wall.

"Are you sure you haven't lost it?"

"Hm, well, I guess it was a gamble to hope you'd just believe me like that…" Kakashi pondered for a moment, then continued in a more confident voice, "But you _are_ a wizard, whether you like it or not. Hasn't anything… strange ever happened around you? When you were angry or afraid?"

"Well…" Naruto's doubt slowly faded. "There was the toilet…"

"Toilet? You know, that reminds me of the time Emiko and I went to the prefect's bathroom and blew up the- uh, well, I guess that's a story for another time." Kakashi chuckled self-consciously. "But you believe me now, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so." The blond cocked his head to the side in a puppy-like motion of curiosity. "So, what do I do now that I'm a wizard?"

The silver-haired man laughed. "If you'd read one of these letters, you'd know. But here." He held out another envelope.

"Wait!" Kabuto's voice was barely a squeak. "He's my responsibility! I forbid him to go!"

"What, you're still there? I totally forgot about you." Kakashi narrowed his eye unpleasantly at the bespectacled man. "And he's coming whether you like it or not." The deadly tone of his voice shut Kabuto's mouth with a snap.

Naruto, ignoring the argument, tore open the envelope and unfolded the paper within. It read;

Dear Mr. Uzumaki,

We congratulate you on your acceptance to Sakuryu, School for the Magically Talented! Enclosed is a list of supplies you'll need for your first year.

School begins on the first of September. Please send your owl before July 31.

Sincerely,

Emiko Niwa

Deputy Headmistress

Something warm and bubbly poured into Naruto's stomach, and he found himself grinning like an idiot at the paper in his hands.

Kakashi grinned widely (or seemed to; it was hard to tell through his mask). "You'll start school in a month. Oh, which reminds me…" He whistled shrilly, and, down through the chimney, came an owl.

Though rather fat-looking, it was beautiful and glossy and brown, with intelligent eyes and a sharp beak. It settled awkwardly on Kakashi's shoulder as the silver-haired man pulled out a piece of parchment and an oddly-colored quill. He quickly scribbled out some words, handed it to the owl (which took it in its beak), and shooed the bird away.

"What was that about?" Naruto piped up, his voice still cheery.

"Just a note to Roy saying I've got you, and that you're definitely coming in September."

"I told you, he's not going!" Kabuto growled, apparently having gotten some of his courage back.

"And I already told you, I don't care!"

But this time, Kabuto wasn't going to stop. "You have no right to come marching in here and tell me what to do! Naruto is my responsibility, _not yours_! And there is nothing special about him, nothing that a good beating won't cure."

In an instant, Kakashi's wand was up and pointing directly at Kabuto's nose. "If you dare touch that boy," the man began cheerfully, "I'll jinx you to Hell and back."

"No!" Kabuto shouted. "I swore when I took him in that I wouldn't let him go to that stupid school. I don't want to live with another freak like his father!"

"W-what?" Naruto gave a half-hearted, disbelieving little laugh. "You knew? You knew that I was… that I'm a wizard?"

"Of course I did! Do you think I could've ignored it, while you went around doing all that crazy stuff?" Kabuto laughed insanely. "Just like your father! Your stupid pathetic father!"

"My dad? He was a wizard, too?"

"He'd come home from that darn school every year with rats and broomsticks and… and spiders spilling out of his pockets! And then he met your mother- ugly witch- and got himself married, and then they had you!"

Naruto stared at him, barely able to process this information. "But… but you never told me anything about this! About them!"

"Why should I have?" Kabuto spat. "The idiots went out and got themselves torn to shreds!"


End file.
